Paradise Lost
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: In the wake of the Judgement of God, three children were saved from the clutches of a vampire. And as their destiny looms closer, a great event shall rend the world asunder. Guided by a Sinner, the Seraphs of the End shall create a new world. But how long will it be, before their ideals put them at each other's throats?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Heeey, everybody. Guess what? I'm back from my break, and I'm bringing you a brand new story. Created from the twisted minds of myself and RealmOfEmptiness, or rather Writer of a Thousand Stories as he calls himself these days.**

 **Please do enjoy the coming storm of "oh shits" and whatnot, because guess what? WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.**

* * *

Guren Ichinose stared at the tubes containing the corpses of his squad members and friends, all well preserved and maintained by the blue fluid that he wasn't entirely sure what it did, other than keeping them from decomposing. He stared at them for only a moment longer before turning to the person who stood behind him, still busy setting up the necessary steps to begin what was arguably the worst decision of his life.

"Why did you decide to help me?" Guren asked him with a frown. "From what Mahiru has told me you only get involved when it suits your best interests."

"I have my reasons." the man replied. He was older than Guren, somewhere in his early to mid-twenties, with silver hair that came down to his chain and framed his rather devilish handsome face. He wore simple black pants with a light blue shirt underneath a black coat with geometrical designs and shapes in a techno-style theme. What disturbed Guren deeply were his ruby red eyes, which betrayed his age: they looked like the eyes of an old man, and buried deep inside was a cold, smoldering fire. "Now, let me ask a question of my own. Are you sure you want to go through with this? Mahiru-chan has told you what will happen next, yes?"

Guren's jaw tightened, but nonetheless nodded. "I know the risks." he said, hands balling into fists. "Even so..."

The man stared at Guren, then chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I can't tell you how many fools like you I've seen in the past, willing to throw the world aside for their precious people." he said enigmatically, fingers dancing across the keyboard before entering the final key. The machines in the room whirred to life, lighting up in different colors. The tank that sat in the center of the room also lit up, revealing a bizarre humanoid shape with wings spreading out from their back. "There. All the preparations are set. What happens now is all up to you."

As he stepped away the young man approached the computer, staring at it for a moment before he looked back at the setup. All of this before him, at this moment, was the setting of what would begin the Apocalypse. He knew what he was about to do. He was going to kill humanity, all for the sake of a bunch of corpses that he couldn't bear to part with. Not yet. The man had already told him, however, that even if he succeeded they would not live long: they would eventually die again. At best, they had maybe ten years. And he couldn't tell them that they had died, otherwise his efforts would go to waste. They would return to dust if he did so.

Guren looked back at the man as he retreated. Mahiru referred to him as a genius, with skills far above her own. It was he who gave her the resources and notes necessary to finish her research about Cursed Gears and the means to trap demons inside them. And now, it was he who was giving him the means to accomplish his goals. Even so, he felt apprehensive. This man was an enigma. He couldn't tell who he was working for: certainly not for the Hiiragi's, otherwise he'd of heard of this man by now. Given the resources he had provided Guren wanted to believe that he was with the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights, or the Hyakuya Sect as they had begun to call themselves now, but something didn't seem right. He could also be working for the vampires, possibly. He certainly gave that feeling.

Just as the man was about to reach the door Guren called out, "Just who's side are you on, Naoya?"

Naoya looked over his shoulders, staring back at Guren with a cold smile. "I am on no one's side." he answered simply. "Not the Hyakuya Sect. Not the Hiiragi. And most certainly not the Angels. _God_ is no friend of mine."

Without another word he left the room, closing the door behind him. Guren stared at the door a moment longer before he closed his eyes and sighed deeply in resignation. If he had any second thoughts, now would be the time... but he had none.

He's long since passed the point of no return.

He looked back to the tubes containing his friends and entered the code. Moments later a strange symphony of magic and machine began to sing. The circle below his feet glowed, radiating a cold red light with orbs dancing in the air. The tank in the middle of the room also glowed, the being inside writhing before it let out an inhuman screech. It began thrashing around, its wings twisting and bending in ways that could not possibly be natural.

At that moment, Guren Ichinose had broken the sacred taboo and brought an end to the human race.

* * *

 **A Seraph of the End x Shin Megami Tensei Crossover:**

 _ **"Paradise Lost"**_

* * *

 _The act of reviving the dead through the power of an Angel was not without consequence: when the sacred taboo was broken the race called humanity suffered for their perceived arrogance. A plague was heaped upon them. Slowly, the world fell to pieces. And as the ashes fell, only a meager few remained, left behind in this cold and desolate world._

 _However, humanity was not the only one to occupy this world. There was another race in existence, one that sought to protect their precious food supply: human blood._

 _They were the Vampires, the Children of the Night._

 _Scores of surviving humans were gathered and taken to the City of Eternal Night, where they would be kept fresh. The vampires, for all intents and purposes, had gained a foothold in the world for the first time in millennia. The last dregs of humanity, however, refused to allow them to rule and fought back, forming resistance groups._

 _Among those was the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, led by the infamous Hiiragi family._

 _Our story, however, begins not with them but with a group of children, taken and imprisoned by the vampires. Children who yearned to see the world up above once again. Children who wanted to escape this cruel nightmare created at the hands of their fellow humans._

 _Children, who will do whatever it takes to take the future into their own hands..._

* * *

 **Capitulum Unus: Dominus Muscae (Chapter One: Lord of the Flies)**

" _Akane_!" Yuuichirou and Mikaeala could only watch in horror and despair as Ferid Bathory, after slaughtering the other members of their family, was about to do the same to the running Akane. The vampire pulled back his hand, ready to slice off the girl's head with his razor sharp nails.

Only for his enhanced vampire senses to catch something that he made sure shouldn't be there yet: the sound of an young, shoe-wearing adult walking. What's more, instead of coming from the vampire city it was coming from the direction of the exit to the surface. "Oh?" His curiosity piqued he stopped in the middle of delivering the blow, allowing Akane to keep running.

Until she bumped into someone just emerging from the tunnel's darkness and ended up falling on her butt. "Yah!"

"Mmh? What's this?"

Akane looked up, eyes widening at the sight. Standing over her was something she hasn't seen in four years: a young, human adult, easily identifiable by the round ears. His eyes were red, yes, but a wine red instead of the blood red of vampires, and lacked the slit-like pupils. Around eighteen years old, he had dual-toned, messy hair, being bleach blonde at the front and black at the back end. He was wearing a red jacket with a black trench-coat over it, four golden buttons forming a square on the chest. His legwear consisted of black pants with two zippers going up to below the knee and black, leather shoes with a gold stripe going across the front.

The young man calmly stared down at Akane with a look of utter indifference before moving his gaze around the area, calmly taking in the children's bodies and finally settling on the vampire. "Am I interrupting something?"

Ferid grinned, amused by the human's complete lack of fear. "As a matter of fact, yes. You're interrupting my game."

"Game? I knew you leeches were sick fucks, but I wasn't quite expecting something like this." The answer was condescending, yet lacking in anger. "Not that I had any expectations to begin with."

"P-Please!" Akane grabbed on the man's trench coat. "Save us!"

"That depends. Your name, little miss?" The man asked, not even bothering to look down at her.

"Akane. Akane Hyakuya."

At those words he finally looked at Akane, his eyes narrowed. "...From the _Hyakuya_ Orphanage?" She frantically nodded. "You too?" He received identical nods from Yuu and Mika. Ferid's expression turned serious: for this human to know about the Orphanage...he must be aware of the children's real identity. He wasn't wearing the JIDA uniform, so a member of another surviving organization? "Well, that makes my job easier." The man turned to Ferid. "Those three come with me leech. You can have the rest."

"I don't think so." With a burst of speed that put everything he showed until now to shame the vampire appeared behind the human and thrust his nails forward, aiming to rip off his head from the shoulders.

An instant later Ferid's nails stopped a few centimeters from reaching their goal, his wrist held in the man's vice-like grip. The vampire's eyes widened as he felt his flesh and bones being crushed. "I wasn't _asking_ for permission." The man calmly informed the vampire before tossing him away with such force all three children were knocked down by the shockwave.

Ferid managed to flip his body and land on all four, the impact carving a large hole in the ground. There was no mirth left in his face. "What are you? No _human_ is that strong."

"No unaugmented human, no." The man replied with a hollow smirk before reaching within his trench coat to pull out... a cellphone? Uncaring of the looks he was receiving he flipped it open and pressed a few buttons. Immense magical energy began to pour out of the man, so thick and strong even Ferid felt himself chocking on it. The children had it even worse, falling on their knees and emptying their stomachs. "Come, **Nyarlathotep**!"

The magical energy gathered together and formed a magical circle on the ground, from which a monstrous creature crawled out. Despite having a humanoid form its skin was an oily black, hands and feet replaced by grotesque pincers. Two large bat-like wings emerged from its back, somehow keeping it airborne without moving.

The worst part, however, was the face. Or better yet, the lack of it: where in a human you could find a mouth, a nose and eyes there was only a smooth black surface marred only by five lumps located where the forehead should be. Finally, on the top of its head was a spike-covered golden crown.

 _ **I AM THE NO-FACED CHAOS. I AM BEYOND TIME AND SPACE.**_

The monster spoke in a cacophony of a thousand different voices, though the children recognized the voices of the parents that abused and abandoned them, while Ferid heard both the voices of his sire and the First Progenitor.

 _ **I AM THE VILE NYARLATHOTEP.**_

Ferid shuddered when the monster's attention focused on him. For the first time in centuries, his immortal body remembered the meaning of 'fear'.

 _ **CHAOS WAVE.**_

The creature swung its arm, seemly at nothing.

Only Ferid's deep-rooted fighting instincts saved him from what followed: he jumped to the side mere moments before the space he previously occupied and a large part of the subterranean structure behind it was annihilated, crushed beyond recognition. Powerful vampires like him can use their swords to generate an air wave that has a similar effect, but the monster's attack went above that: it was almost like the blow hit everywhere at once in the affected area, an instant of omnipresence aimed to inflict absolute destruction.

"How surprising: a mere human was capable of making a contract with the Crawling Chaos itself." The vampire's eyes flicked between the monster and the man that summoned it, his whole body tensing in order to react to the smallest movement. Against a Demon of that rank, and unarmed too, he couldn't afford anything less than his 100%. "Or not? Could it be you were just given power without really earning it?"

"Could it be you talk too much?" The young man commented with a mocking smile. While his eyes followed Ferid as he dodged two more attacks of Nyarlathotep he pressed another key of his phone. Another magic circle appeared next to him, much smaller and weaker than the previous one, and from it emerged a multicolored, grotesque hybrid between a bird and a seahorse. " **Zhen**. Take the brats and bring them outside." He commanded while slipping the phone back into his coat.

"I won't let you!" With a burst of speed Ferid sailed past Nyarlathotep during the gap between attacks, aiming at the still dazed Mika. Only to be forced to shift into a defensive stance midway, the human tackling him with such force his bones groaned.

"Wow! Are you really so thirsty?!" He told Ferid with a savage smirk as the two slammed into a wall. His hand balled into a fist and punched at the vampire's face, who barely managed to move his head out of the way before the blow pulverized the wall behind him. At the same time Ferid's hand sneaked where he saw the human hide his phone, but the man's own hand was already there to smack it away. "Or maybe you're a cunning bastard who thinks he can distract me."

As gravity started to pull both back Ferid disengaged, immediately using the wall as a stepping stone to avoid another Chaos Wave. "So your device doesn't just summon Demons, it's also the source of your unnatural strength. If it was demonic possession you wouldn't need to summon another demon to fight for you."

Meanwhile the Zhen has picked up the three children, two for each claw and one in its beak, and started flying towards the exit. Ferid kicked a piece of rubble at the demon, aiming to crush its head, only for the projectile to be crushed by the human's fist. "Cunning _and_ intelligent? What a rare breed of leech." The tone of dual-tone haired man remained mocking, seemingly unaffected from having a potential weak point discovered. "It's a pity I don't have time to spare: you would make for a great exhibition piece. Nyarlathotep!"

The Outer God moved from its position for the first time, wings flapping once at it barreled towards Ferid, pincers poised to skewer him. At the same time the human jumped back, fist glowing with an orange light before he swung it upward. "Heat Wave!"

A wave of orange energy crashed into the ceiling, causing the already unstable structure to start collapsing. "No!" Ferid shouted at the sight of his Mikaeala slipping out of his grasp before he could make him into a vampire. For a fraction of second his body was torn between two courses of action: reaching the exist before it was sealed by the collapse, which would however open his back to Nyarlathotep, or stay and fend off the Demon's assault until the duration of its summoning ended. In the end the desire to survive long enough to see his plans come into fruition won: he spared a last glance at the retreating Demon Summoner, silently promising vengeance and bemoaning years of planning going down the drain, before focusing back on the rampaging Outer God.

* * *

Akane stared breathlessly out the window, unable to believe her eyes. Beside her Mika held the same dazzled expression whereas Yuu, while also taken away by the scenery, leveled a glare at the stranger who sat in the driver seat as he lead them through the empty and desolate streets of Japan. They were in winter, it seemed, because heavy amounts of snow caked the ground and streets, with ice dangling from the edges of banners, roofs and street lamps.

"This is... the sky, isn't it?" Akane asked quietly. "I almost forgot what it looked like."

"It has been so long." Mika nodded in agreement before he lowered his head. "I wish the little ones could see it too..."

Yuu's hands gripped onto the fabric of his pants tightly. His chest burned with anger as he glared at the young man in the car seat. Why hadn't he come earlier? Why didn't he show up when they needed him the most? Why couldn't he have shown up sooner? He knew that it was useless to think and ask questions like that, but even so he couldn't help but hold some form of resentment towards him. "Hey, you."

"I do have a name, you know." the young man called back, keeping his eyes on the road. "It's Minegishi. Kira Minegishi."

"Whatever." the young orphan scoffed. "Where are you taking us, anyway? I thought all the adults died!? And what in hell were those things back there?!"

"First question: I'm taking you three to Akihabara. It's one of the few places the vampires wouldn't dare approach, namely because any that tried ended up dead in seconds. Second question: Only about 87% of the adults died off thanks to the Apocalypse Virus. The few that are still alive here in Japan mounted a resistance movement called the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. I know nothing about the adults overseas that survived as well. Third question: that was Nylarathotep, a member of the Vile Race, and Zhen, a member of the Raptor Race. They're Demons."

Mika choked, staring at the now-named Kira with large eyes while Akane recoiled in fright. "D-Demons?!"

"Yep. Ordinarily you need to go through a bunch of complicated steps to summon them, but the app installed on my phone does all that for me. They don't last very long, though, so I usually only have them out in short bursts. Especially ones that eat up magnetite like crazy." Kira answered before he looked over his shoulder at Yuu with a bored look. "That satisfied your curiosity, brat?"

"No!" The boy shouted. "What do you mean with demons?! How can the app of a phone do something like that? And what's the hell is magnetite?!"

"You spent four years as a blood bank for vampires after the world ended, and you're surprised that Demons exist?" Kira laughed. "Brat, the supernatural is real. All the fantastical creatures you heard about, from youkai to gods? They exist, just not on this plane of existence. Magic, however, can make them materialize here. Regarding my phone and Magnetite... I'm not really the guy you should ask about them."

Kira's revelation should have shocked Yuu, but the last four years taught him a few things: among them is to not immediately dismiss everything that doesn't fall within his world's view as nonsense. It was a skill necessary to survive in Sanguinem without losing one's mind. "Who then? Who can answer my questions?!"

"You're starting to be annoying, brat." The car turned around a corner. Before Kira could continue, however, a beeping sound was heard within the car. "They're here too? Good."

Kira slammed down his foot on the brake, the car coming to a violent halt that jostled around the kids, Yuu ending with his nose bleeding after his face hit the back of Kira's seat. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Keeping your asses safe." Was Kira's dispassionate response as he dismounted from the car. By chance Mika saw the man's reflection on the side-view mirror.

He was grinning. A smile so bloodthirsty, so similar to Ferid as he slaughtered his family that for a moment the blonde boy expected to see fangs emerge from behind the lips.

The young man took out his phone and flipped it open, checking the screen. Then he put it back and began to walk towards a nearby building. A few seconds later the front of the building exploded as something massive crashed through it. The children's eyes widened as they saw a massive monster larger than a van, with many legs like a spider and wings growing out from random points of its body. It rushed towards Kira, aiming to crush him under its mole.

" _Power Hit_."

Immediately after uttering those words the trenchcoat-wearing man dashed forwards at super-speed, the ground where he previously stood shattering. His fist sunk into the monster's chest, flesh folding like paper before the whole upper body exploded like a balloon. "...Disappointing." Kira muttered as his feet touched the ground again, the monster's body collapsing behind him. Despite his words, however, he had yet to stop smiling. "Weaklings only good for farming Magnetite are no fun at all."

"What-" Akane gasped as she and the other two children watched two more creatures emerged from the building, all bearing down on them with killing intent. "What are those things?!"

"The Four Horsemen of John." Kira answered with disinterest. "They appeared not long after the Apocalypse Virus hit. They hunt down and kill any humans they find." His smile grew to disturbing proportions as he cracked his knuckles. The Horsemen approached, mandibles clicking and letting out horrifying screeches. "Alright... Let's get to work."

* * *

"It's been a while since the last time we talked, Ichinose. Four years, if I remember correctly."

Inside one of Akihabara's many shopping centers there was a fairly large room filled with tons of equipment, some of which unlike anything that humans could have produced. Consoles and towers of machinery littered most of it, with wires strewn about all across the floor. However the mess went unnoticed by Naoya, who sat in front of a computer as his hands flew across the keyboard at lightning speed, new streams and bits of data appearing on the screen every second.

 _"It has been a while."_ Guren Ichinose acknowledged. _"I hear you've become a wanted criminal by the Hiiragi family. The old coots won't say anything, but Mahiru more or less told me the gist."_ There was a brief pause of silence before Guren continued. _"It's going to happen, isn't it? In four years."_

Naoya smiled. "The Hiiragi Family intends to use it for their own personal gain, but they sorely underestimate what is it to come. I can delay it by at least half a year, but in four years it will occur. When it does happen, well..."

 _"Right, I get it. You know, I was intending on fulfilling that little prophecy that Mahiru and you told me about, but imagine my surprise when I found the entrance to Sanguinem collapsed and vampire ashes strewn across the snow. Something you want to tell me, Naoya?"_

The silver-haired man laughed softly. "I can hardly control what Kira does. Besides, prophecies are nothing more but mindless guessing: even if it were to come true, there is always the chance it would fail." He looked to the side, seeing a flashing light on the console next to him. "Hm, it seems Kira has returned."

 _"Oi, Naoya. What are going to do with them?"_

"What indeed?" Naoya ended the call there. Setting the phone down he stood up and made his way over to the entrance to his humble abode. He opened the door, allowing a cold breeze to blow over him. Kira's jeep was parked on the other side of the street, with three children in white jumpsuits with hoods standing in front of it. The dual-tone haired man was halfway across the street, hands in his pockets with streaks of blood marring his clothes. "Kira. I do hope that isn't your blood."

"Ran into Horsemen along the way." He shrugged. "Nothing to worry about, Naoya-dono."

"Of course. You grew up wonderfully during those last years." Naoya nodded with his usual smile before his gaze rested on the children. "Just three?"

"My apologies, the rest were killed by a leech."

"That's fine, this is already more than I expected."

Yuu stared at Naoya with a scowl, wondering who he was to inspire such respect from that asshole of Kira. By the silver hair and red eyes alone he looked like Ferid's long-lost brother. "Are you a vampire?" He asked, harshly.

Akane and Mika gasped at the brazen words of their friend, but the silver-haired man merely chuckled. "I do have the looks, huh?" He pulled back his upper lips, revealing perfectly normal human teeth. "But I applaud your caution. What are your names, little ones?"

The boy relaxed at the proof the adult wasn't a vampire. "Yuuichirou. Yuuichirou Hyakuya."

"Akane Hyakuya." The girl replied, still overwhelmed by everything that happened that day.

"Mikaeala Hyakuya." Mika replied before continuing with a respectful tone. "Naoya-san, what's happening? Why did Kira-san bring us here?"

"Why you, of all people?" Naoya grinned, his eyes boring into the children with almost frightening intensity. "Tell me: if I told you there was a way to fix this broken world, how far would you be willing to go to grasp it?"

* * *

 ** _Call it what you will—  
_** ** _A revelation from God, or a curse of the demon king.  
_** ** _The fact remains that our world came to an end._**

 ** _A heretic called upon an unearthly light, and devastation ensued.  
_** ** _Chaos crawled out of the depths of the ocean, from the black abyss._**

 ** _Death upon death... nothing but death in this barren land.  
_** ** _Who can we pray to? There are only demons and fiends here._**

 ** _A voice in the dark beguiles me, "Truth is a mystery, unraveled by the candles' flames."  
_** ** _—from the journal of a man who wandered into another world_**

* * *

In a room concealed by shadows a pair of dark gray eyes opened slowly. The sound of a curtain being pulled entered his ears, just as the shadows receded back and light filled the room, revealing black-and-red checkered floor and lavish furniture, including a fireplace with the mantle adorned by a goat's head. The owner of these gray eyes looked forward, finding a sight that would make an ordinary man tremble in fright: a blood red ocean stood out before him, surrounded by flesh-covered walls with vents of peculiar design. Inside those vents dark shapes could be vaguely seen, their glowing eyes peering out.

In the center of this bloody red ocean was an individual standing atop a small golden platform. Their eyes were half-lidded, as if awakening from their sleep, but everyone could tell that they were conscious.

"...So, this is the one." the old man spoke with a hint of amusement.

His head was thinning, but possessed long gray hair that fell to his shoulders. He was garbed in a fine white suit with a black dress shirt and tie, sitting in a wheelchair with a cane in hand. Beside him was a young woman, dressed all in black with a funeral veil obscuring the upper half of her face. The old man's lips curled into a small grin as he stared at the person with intrigue and subtle awe.

"To think that a child bearing the blood of God would find themselves here... Is it in your destiny to walk the path of thorns? Or, perhaps, you will discard your wings and sink yourself into the depths of depravity? Either way, fate has shown you to the First Sinner's doorstep..."

"Who... are you...?" the person asked, voice echoing across the vast space they stood in. "Where... is this place?"

"Where we are is of no concern to you at this moment. As to who I am..." the old gentleman began, raising his head to an unseen ceiling. "Hm, I suppose you could say I am... someone who watches with interest." He then returned his gaze back to the Seraph of the End that stood before him. "And what of you, Angel? What is your name?"

"My name is..."

Their voice drifted into silence, as if censored. Even so, the old man's smile grew.

* * *

"It's morning. Get up."

The small form lying on the bed grumbled and turned to the other side, pulling the blankets over their head. Only to yelp when a foot on their side roughly shoved them off the bed and on the ground. "I said to get up, brat." Kira said with a dispassionate tone, one leg still raised and extended.

" _What the hell_?!" Yuu swore as he stood up and glared murder at the older boy. "Is this how you wake up people?"

"No, this is how I woke up you." He pointed to the other beds in the small room the Hyakuya children were given after the exhausting events of yesterday. Yuu's eyes softened as they followed Kira's fingers and saw that during the night Akane has crawled on Mika's bed and fell asleep next to the blonde, clutching his jumpsuit. He couldn't really blame her: Akane was even more gentler than Mika, she probably took the loss of the other children even harder. "Get those two moving, or they'll get the same treatment."

"You're a real asshole, you know that?" Yuu spat.

"So I've been told." Kira stoically replied before walking out of the room to lean on the doorframe. "Now hurry up. We don't have all day. And take a shower for God's sake, you stink."

"Fuck you!"

Kira's lips tugged upward. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

 _'Oh, I hate him. I hate him so much!_ ' Yuuichiro Hyakuya thought with venom before he sighed and got up from his spot on the floor, moving over to Mika and Akane. "Hey, guys. Come on, it's morning." he said, gently shaking the two. When that didn't work he sighed and resorted to the best method he knew. Something that usually earned him a kick to the face, courtesy of this damn blonde.

He took a deep breath and then yelled: "WAKE UP!"

Akane yelped, leaping up like a frightened cat with her hair standing on end. Mika, on the other hand, reacted swiftly and struck Yuu in the face with his foot, once again knocking him to the floor and leaving him to clutch his face. At first both children were dazed and confused by what they saw as they looked around the room. Understandable, given that this was their first actual look at the place since they just dozed off into bed as soon as they tucked themselves in. It was only when they saw Kira standing by the door did they finally remember.

"...It wasn't a dream."

"Nope." Kira replied. "If it was, you'd probably be with the others." He then pointed to the writhing Yuu. "By the way, this always happen?"

"Why me...?"

* * *

Per Kira's suggestion the Hyakuya orphans all soaked themselves off in the bath. During their time in Sanguinem the children would simply be led into a room where water fell over their bodies, followed by a blast of hot air to dry them off instantly. As a result they could never find the time to actually enjoy being in a bath tub: Akane and Mika soaked in it for longer than they should have, while Yuu was merely sitting on the stool deep in thought while he washed himself.

Everything just seemed so... weird. After being held in captivity for four years he came to accept the vampires for what they were: blood sucking monsters that deserved to burn in hell. But then Kira and Naoya appeared, and following that came the existence of demons. Finally there was what Naoya told them.

 _"Tell me: if I told you there was a way to fix this broken world, how far would you be willing to go to grasp it?"_

Naturally he was skeptical of such claims. Naoya himself seemed to have expected it and promised they would get the full picture later before he led them to their bedrooms. Even so Yuu didn't trust the man: not just because of his appearance, but because his overall demeanor just screamed eerie and manipulative.

Once they were done the children exited the bathroom to find fresh clothes already prepared for them. Yuu wore a simple light green shirt with a black hoodie and dark pants, while Mika had on a white t-shirt with black stripes forming into a star near the hem of his shirt, complete with black denim pants. Akane merely wore a long-sleeved yellow shirt, somewhat big on her, with white shorts that ended a bit below the knees.

"...Do I even want to know why you had kid clothes?" Yuu asked once they met with Kira and Naoya.

Kira shrugged. "In our defense it was what we scrounged up. Wasn't expecting to be taking in a bunch of brats."

"Now now, Kira." Naoya lightly chastised his apparent student. "Don't be so crass with them." The red-eyed man then gestured to the table he had prepared, which had been set up with cloth, silverware and food. "It's a bit on the stale side, but I imagine it will fill you up nicely, considering you were eating out of food packs for four years."

There was no denying that. After all Sanguinem never had bread and soup, things like the curry they are before leaving the vampire city being considered an exceptional treat. Within moments the children were at the table, digging in with gusto. Kira snorted with some amusement, linking the sight to a bunch of starving dogs, which may or may not have been too far off the mark. Akane coughed haphazardly when she started to eat too quickly, forcing it down with a few quick gulps of water. In a few minutes, the soup and bread had been polished off.

"Thank you for the food." Mika said with a small smile. "That was... wonderful."

"No kidding." Yuu muttered. "Haven't had a decent meal like that in years." He then looked up at Naoya, who sat across from them with his smile still present. "Okay, Naoya. You said you'd give us an explanation about yesterday, so spill it. What the hell's a demon? And why was Kira at Sanguinem?" He looked at the dual-toned man. "I doubt you came to rescue us, otherwise you'd have done a hell of a lot more."

"Hm, you're a sharp one. You are correct on the last one: I sent Kira merely to investigate the situation at Sanguinem. The odds of finding you all there were an added bonus. As for the subjects, I believe you've seen them for yourself." Taking out his phone Naoya gave a few inputs before a black and red shape suddenly emerged next to him. Initially it looked like a shapeless ball of mass that was writhing, settling the kids on end. Soon it solidified and gathered into a physical shape, becoming a small little girl no bigger than the average adult's palm, with milky skin and red hair and dressed in a blue leotard. "This is Pixie, a member of the Fairy Race. She's among the lowest level of demons out there. In comparison Nylarathotep is of a higher class, mainly because of its magnetite level."

"Magnetite?" Akane asked. Naoya dug into his pocket before he pulled out what looked like some kind of test tube with a cork stuffed neatly into its mouth, filled with glowing green liquid. "What's that?"

"Liquid magnetite. Somewhat hard to manufacture, unless you know what you're doing. It's very potent, and can let a demon remain corporeal for _weeks_."

Mika tilted his head. "But, what is Magnetite? Is it like demon food?"

"Not quite. While demons are gluttons for it, it's more accurate to say magnetite is what made up their bodies." Naoya put the tube on the table. Meanwhile a fascinated Akane has reached out with a hand to Pixie, the little girl letting her body being touched with a giggle. Though she moved her wings out of the way when the Hyakuya girl tried to do the same to them, a frown telling Akane to not do that. "The more magnetite a demon has, the stronger they are. Summoning a demon involves first and foremost providing them with enough magnetite to manifest a body and fuel their abilities."

"Demons aren't really _here_ , so to say." Kira added, chin resting on one hand. "If killed they simply return to their world, or in our case within our phones, until we give them enough magnetite to create a new body."

"That's convenient." Yuu blinked in amazement. "Where does magnetite come from?"

"Mostly human bodies."

"I se-WHAT?!"

Naoya chuckled at the children's shocked faces, Kira cracking a grin. "Magnetite is a mystical substance born from the flow of strong emotions, so naturally humans have an abundance of it, especially when they are in a panicked or fearful state. I harvested most of my initial reserves of Magnetite from those killed by the Apocalypse Virus, but since then I took it from the Horsemen. That also includes vampires: because of their unique physiology they can store twice the amount of magnetite a human is capable of. In order for a demon to remain stable in this world they need to consume magnetite, so they primarily hunt down humans and vampires." Naoya made a wry grin when he saw the terrified look on Akane's face as she inched away from Pixie, thus making the tiny girl pout. "However, it is also possible to control a demon. You've already seen it for yourself with Kira."

"And how were you able to do that?" Mika asked curiously. "Does it have something to do with your phone?"

"As a matter of fact, it does." Naoya held out his phone as he opened it, revealing a dark red screen with what looked like a pentagram, which occasionally glitched out. "This is the Demon Summoning Program, a system of my own design. Ordinarily you would have to use a series of steps to summon a demon and forge a contract with it, but this helps simplifies things."

"U-Uhm!" Akane raised a hand like she was at school. "Kira-san defeated those monsters without using demons. He isn't a vampire, so how is he so strong?"

Yuu and Mika, who looked at the girl when she spoke out first, snapped their heads back to Kira. The black-haired boy almost forgot about it, but he indeed witnessed the young man perform superhuman feats that put to shame even a vampire.

If it was possible for him to gain the same power, then he could-

"That!" Naoya clapped his hands, pulling Yuu away from his thoughts. The silver-haired man was grinning. "Is an excellent question. The answer lies in another feature of the Demon Summoning Program: the Harmonizer. The theory behind it is too complicate to explain, so I'll use simple words: using sound waves that cannot be heard by the human ear the Harmonizer adjusts the difference between humans and demons, allowing the former to fake the characteristics of the latter. In short, by using it a human can become as strong as a demon, and even use special abilities."

"The downside-" Kira flashed them a nasty smile. "Is that you fully depend on the app running properly, so if you lose your phone, it breaks or if the battery is drained then you go back to being a squishy meatsack."

"A terrible downside, but still a useful tool to have. Anything else?"

Mika nodded. "When you found us, you asked if we were from the Hyakuya Orphanage." he recalled, earning a nod from Kira. Yuu couldn't help but notice how something changed in Naoya's eyes, a small smile beginning to develop on his face. "If we weren't from the Hyakuya Orphanage, would you have left us there...?"

"As I said earlier it was simple reconnaissance." Naoya shrugged. "But the way I see it you three are something of a rarity, even in this world."

"Rarity?" Akane frowned.

Kira looked at Naoya with a frown. "Oi. Are we really going to tell them?" he said. "I don't really care, but they're just brats. I don't wanna deal with the aftermath."

"They'll eventually find out on their own." Naoya waved a hand in dismissal. "Better for them to know now."

"Know what?!" Yuu asked angrily. "Just tell us already?! What's the real reason you saved us?!"

"To start with, the vampires told you that most of the adults in the world died because of a virus, correct?" Naoya asked, earning a nod from the children. It was more or less a fact that has been drilled into their heads, along with the reality that they were alone to fend for themselves and fight back against the vampires. The fact that there were adults left in the world was of some comfort to them, but only so little. "What if I told you that the Apocalypse Virus was, in truth, caused by someone breaking the laws of this world?"

The children looked at one another in confusion before turning back to Naoya. "Breaking the laws of this world?" Akane asked. "What-what does that mean?"

"It is said that the world was created in seven days, each followed by the sounding of a trumpet. And that when humanity's day of judgement would arrive, the world would die in seven days, again followed by the trumpets sounding off. The holders of those trumpets are known as the Seraphs of the End. But we know them by another name: the _Trumpeter_." Naoya explained. "Certain humans are born with a unique genetic code. This genetic coding is known as the seraph gene."

"The... seraph gene?"

Kira nodded. "Those with the seraph gene pretty much develop capabilities far beyond any human. And, like vampires, they're capable of holding an incredible amount of magnetite in their bodies: ten times higher than a vampire, in fact. Because of that, however, there was a group who was interested in researching and using them for their own experiments."

"There are several organizations in the world that experiment on those with the seraph gene. However, this group was... much worse." Naoya stated, holding up a finger. "They were known as the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights. Though these days they're known by another name." He paused for a moment, as if contemplating something, before he shrugged. "They call themselves the Hyakuya Sect."

Both Yuu and Akane took the news in strides. Only Mika made the connection, his eyes widening in realization. "Like our orphanage?" Yuu asked.

"Idiot." Kira said in a deadpan tone as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

The black-haired boy snarled. "What did you say, you-"

"Yuu-chan. _Quiet_." Mika ordered with uncharacteristic seriousness, enough to stop Yuu by sheer surprise. The blonde boy stared at Naoya, lips draw into a line. "Naoya-san. Is... Is there a connection between this Hyakuya Sect and the Hyakuya Orphanage?"

"Good. Very, _very_ _good_." The silver-haired man praised, the smile on his lips widening. "You get it."

Before he could elaborate, however, the door to the room slammed open. " _Hi! Hi! Everyone, are you ready?!_ " A girl jumped inside, making a few pirouettes before stopping in front of the table, making the 'V' victory gesture and winking. Around 15-16 years old, she had black hair tied into a pair of twintails and violet eyes. She was wearing a black, white and magenta frilly dress, white gloves and stylish glasses. "It's your favorite YouTube Idol _Anko-chan_!"

The Hyakuya children gaped at the girl, Naoya silently nodded in greeting and Kira completely ignored her.

"Isuna-san. You know that is not the proper way to greet people." Following after her was an older man around his twenties, both eyes and meticulously groomed hair a rust-coloured brown. He possessed sharp features, his lips set into a scowl, and was wearing a suit of impeccable making.

"Great, the Freak Brigade is now assembled." Kira commented before taking a sip of coffee.

"Mouuu~! Naoya-sama, Kira is showing his true nature as a vulgar thug again!" The girl pouted, while the man scowl deepened.

"Anko-chan, by now you should've realized this is just how Kira is." Naoya tilted his head towards the newcomers while looking at the Hyakuya children. "Let me introduce you to the final members of Akibahara's Demon Summoners: Anko Isuna and Kimitada Fukutsuchi."

Fukutsuchi bowed his head in greeting. Isuna, however, saw the children and immediately gushed. Stars dazzled in her eyes as she practically dashed over and grabbed Akane and Yuu from their seats, pulling them into a tight hug and pressing them against her rather sizable bust. "Omigoshomigosh! You are just the most adorable little cuties I've ever seen!"

"Ack!" Yuu gasped. "Too tight! Too tight!" Akane also struggled, though she strangely found the older girl's embrace to be quite comforting.

It took a moment for Isuna to realize that she was holding children. As in, honest-to-god children. A sight she was not accustomed to, unless she was in, say, Shibuya or Shinjuku. "Naoya-sama. Where'd you find these cuties?"

"They're brats from Sanguinem." Kira informed her. "Meet the Hyakuya trio. The one with the braid is Akane, the blonde one is Mikaela and the little shit with a scowl stuck to his face is Yuuichiro."

Yuu felt the vein on his forehead throb violently as he glared at Kira, who promptly grinned back at him. He promised to himself the bastard would suffer untold amounts of pain the moment he got the chance. Isuna blinked once or twice before looking down at the children, then back at Naoya. "When you say Hyakuya... are we talking about-?"

"We were just discussing that, actually." Naoya nodded. "And yes, they're from the Hyakuya Orphanage: they attempted to escape Sanguinem, but a few of them were killed. The only reason they're even still alive was because Kira found them while he was investigating the entrance."

"Consider yourself lucky." Fukutsuchi told them as he took a seat at the table. "The only reason Kira saved you is because Naoya-sama ordered us to keep an eye out for people from the Hyakuya Orphanage."

"Yup." Said dual-toned boy shamelessly confirmed.

"Still, I am surprised you are still alive." The man continued after a brief glare of disapproval towards Kira. "I thought the vampires would have easily made the connection and eliminated you to ensure nobody could experiment on the seraph gene again."

"...So it's true?" Mika said quietly, a faraway look in his eyes. "One of us from the Hyakuya Orphanage had this 'seraph gene'?"

"All the children in the Hyakuya Orphanage have the Seraph Gene. You three included." Naoya bluntly told them. "The orphanage was founded by the Hyakuya Sect and served to gather the children that were found possessing the Seraph Gene." Naoya began to operate his phone again, the Pixie vanishing with a wave of her hand. Once done he put it on the table and pushed it in front of the children. "I started destroying the surviving bases of the Hyakuya Sect and other similar organization after the disaster four years ago. Those are some examples of what I found."

Mika looked at the phone-and promptly felt all the food he ate coming back. The screen was showing the picture of a glass tank filled with murky blue liquid. And inside of it was a little boy no older than eight: his body was horrendously twisted, with feathers covering his limbs and malformed wings growing at random points all over his body, one even replacing his left leg. Only half of his face was visible, the rest covered by a fleshy black growth.

"Hey! Let me go!" Yuu renewed his struggles to escape Isuna's grasp. "I want to see too!"

"NO!" Eyes widening in fright, Mika slapped the phone away with all his strength. It flipped in the air before being skillfully caught by a grinning Naoya. "That... that..."

"That was what condemned humanity to destruction: forbidden experiments using the power of a Seraph of the End. The power of God." Naoya's smile widened, turning bloodthirsty and hateful. "Some God is it, huh? For the sins of a few he decided all of humanity must die, sinners and innocent alike."

Isuna's strength lessened as she bent down and let the children go, allowing them to join Mika. The poor boy looked like he was on the edge of crying, tears prickling his eyes. Akane immediately wrapped her arms around him in an effort to try and calm him down while Yuu was utterly stunned: he hadn't seen the blonde like this since the time he found out that Ferid had played him for a fool. Actually, he thought Mika looked even worse now. He looked over at Naoya, hands balling into fists. "You're lying." he said, garnering the silver-haired man's attention. "We don't remember being experimented on! The people there cared about us, which is a hell of a lot more than I can say about our parents. This has to be a joke!"

"Then do you want to remember?" Fukutsuchi asked, startling Yuu. "After each experiment was completed the Hyakuya Sect erased the children's memories, as to not arouse suspicion. Memory manipulation is one of the easiest skills in the book, and it works considerably well on children. If you want, we can have you remember those days." He made a face, as if disgusted, before he waved a hand. "I wouldn't recommend it, though."

"Don't you dare!" Isuna cried angrily.

"It's their decision."

"They don't have to choose, now or in the future." Naoya spoke, ending the argument. "The people who did it are already dead, so there's no practical reason to recall those memories. No, what's important is that you three, without a doubt, possess the seraph gene. Just to be clear, it is very unlikely your powers will activate without external intervention. And even if they did the essence of a Trumpeter will take control of you and try to carry out its role: the complete destruction of humanity." He loudly tapped the table for emphasis. "Three of the Seven Trumpeters awakened already: one unleashed the Apocalypse Virus, the second rained fire and brimstone to destroy the work of man and turned the oceans blood red, and the third summoned the Horsemen. The first two have been killed - with great sacrifices - and the third was sealed. Four Trumpeters have yet to awaken, and as long as people with the seraph gene exist there's a chance those four will come to finish the job."

"Than what do you want us to do?!" Startling Akane Mika slammed his fists on the table, tears finally pouring from his eyes. "Just roll over and die?"

"On the contrary: I want you to fight and shatter this fate decided by someone else." Naoya didn't shout, yet his words echoed as if he did. "Remember what I told you yesterday? Why I wanted you brought here?"

"...A way to fix this broken world." Yuu muttered. "What do you mean with that?"

"The power to shape the universe through your beliefs. To decide the underlining philosophy the world's natural laws will follow, and change it into whatever form you desire." Fukutsuchi replied, as if reciting a passage from a book. "A power that, ironically enough, God gave humanity upon its creation."

"The power-" Something flashed within Naoya's eyes. "-of the **_Conception_**."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Naoya, across the street where his home base stood, the elderly man from before sat in his wheel chair attended by the woman in black, looking on as if capable of witnessing the conversation that was being held inside the building. And he was: despite being so far away he could hear every word being spoken. Every emotion being carried in their voices. The choices and decisions that were being made. A path was being forged at that very moment, but what sort of path was it? What would it lead to? The thought brought a smile to the old man's face as he looked up at the dark sky hanging overhead, nostalgia flickering in his hazel gray eyes.

"It's been far too long since the world was shaped." he said slowly, drumming his fingers against his knee. "And again, far too long since humanity has proven its mettle. How ironic that the world will be shaped again. But by whose hand shall it be? Will it be at the hands of men who seek to create a world simply for themselves? Or will it be at the hands of these children, who bear the blood of God in their veins?"

It was so interesting to think about. So many possibilities, and yet all of them pertained to the scenario that man had in mind. He would have made his presence known, but now was not the time. Not yet. Not when everything was still in the works. Soon, however, he would be able to approach that young child. Soon, the two of them would finally shatter these shackles.

And, perhaps, give way to something even greater.

"What do you think about all of this..."

The old man craned his head, looking at the youth who was standing beside him. His skin was slightly pale, and a green hood obscured most of his face. However, the flesh that was exposed revealed black tribal tattoos with pulsating green markings, some of which could be seen glowing faintly under the jacket. Underneath the shadows of his hood, however, a pair of glowing yellow eyes were peering at the three children inside the building.

"...my _Demi-Fiend_?"

* * *

 _ **The depths of the Great Abyss burst forth, and the gates of Heaven are flung open.**_

 _ **And, in this lightless age of corruption,**_  
 _ **we yearn for a new messiah.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, everybody. We're back, and a new chapter is waiting for you all! Sorry this took so long. Real life is a bitch.**

 **Friendly reminder that I have a Poll up on my page. Give it a quick look, and check out other stories written by Writer of a Thousand Stories too!**

* * *

"The... Conception?" Yuu repeated. Somehow that word, or better yet the way Naoya said it, sparked something inside of him, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. Unbeknownst to him Mika and Akane had felt the same way. "What's that?"

"If you look the word up on a dictionary it's the beginning of pregnancy, and in a way that's a good analogy: the Conception is the beginning of a new world." Naoya said. Kira, Fukutsuchi and Isuna were paying special attention to the man's words; as if they already heard them, but didn't dare to interrupt. "Every universe has a finite amount of energy, and once that energy runs out the only way to replenish it is for that universe to undergo the Conception and be reborn anew. However, like Kimitada said, only humans have the power to shape the universe through their beliefs. For that purpose, once the time is judged right fate conspires to send the instructions to initiate the Conception to those who have both the will and the resources to do so, usually in the form of a prophecy. The first phase of the Conception is to summon **Kagutsuchi** , the Avatar of Creation, into the world to destroy it."

"Excuse me?!" Mika interrupted him. "He's the Avatar of Creation, yet he destroys the world?"

"Correct. That's because the act of bringing a new world into existence is made possible by the annihilation of the old world. Death, followed by Rebirth." Naoya grinned, as if he found the concept incredibly amusing. "Everything outside of the area where Kagutsuchi is summoned will disappear − even time and space will cease to exist, leaving behind an empty void. At the same time every living being, with the exception of the Demons who may happen to be present there, will be killed and left as a wandering spirit. The only way to avoid the same fate is to be inside a special barrier. At that point Kagutsuchi... well, it's easier if I use an example."

Naoya stood up and walked to a nearby desk, opening a drawer and searching inside. Once he found what he wanted he returned to the table, on which he laid a blank piece of paper, a pen and a pair of scissors. "Imagine this is Kagutsuchi." He drew a small circle in the middle of the paper. "And this is the area he is summoned in, typically the size of a large city like Tokyo." he drew a bigger circle around the first one. "Everything outside the second circle is the rest of the world. As he comes into this world Kagutsuchi erases reality outside of this area." he drew jagged lines all around the second circle. "And, once he collects within himself all the energy of the old world, twists the remaining area into a shell with himself at the center."

Naoya picked up the scissors and cut off the part of the paper with the jagged lines, leaving behind the two circles. Then he took and folded the remaining paper until it formed a rough sphere. "I doubt you know what a Dyson Sphere is, so think of it like this: outside the sphere there is nothing, just an infinite empty void, while the inner layer of the sphere becomes the whole of reality, with all of its inhabitants walking on it and Kagutsuchi residing in the center. This otherworldly place is called the **Vortex World**. A very, very unsettling sight, or so I've been told."

The three children looked at one another with wide eyes. While they were slightly skeptical of Naoya's story, from the way he explained it even they couldn't help but want to believe an inkling of it. "So, the Conception brings about the end of the world by summoning this Kagutsuchi." Akane began, summarizing the events. "And afterwards, the area Kagutsuchi is summoned becomes the center of what's left. But what comes after that?"

"The second phase of the Conception." Naoya replied. "All inhabitants of the Vortex World, primarily the humans who survived the Conception, will seek out enough power to make their ambitions a reality. Kagutsuchi's ultimate goal is to act as an 'egg' for a new world: in order to create it an individual must possess a 'Reason', a philosophy that defines a new world order. By proving their Reason to Kagutsuchi they can then use the Vortex World to create a new reality: an universe that matches their Reason, with the new natural laws based on it."

He raised a finger. "For example... let's say someone develops a Reason dictating that 'All are at one with the world'. The result would be a world of stillness and unity. No individuality, no passion, no conflict and no destruction: just an eternity of nothing ever happening." he raised a second finger. "On the other hand, there could be someone with a Reason demanding that 'only the strong are necessary for the world'. This would results in a reality where those with power controls the world as they see fit, while the weak are crushed under their heel."

Yuu's jaw became unhinged. "You gotta be kiddin'!"

"I'm not. The world has undergone countless Conceptions in the past, and in four years the next one will descend, courtesy of the Hiiragi Family."

"The Hiiragi Family?"

It was Fukutsuchi who answered, a hint of malice in his otherwise polite tone. "The leaders of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, the last vestiges of human resistance here in Japan. Officially they're one of the most powerful and wealthy families in the country, with a strong presence overseas. But in reality?" He scoffed. "Before someone was stupid enough to break the taboo they controlled Japan from the shadows. Business corporations, governments, the Japanese ministry and even the military. To put it simply, the Hiiragi's controlled all of Japan."

"Weren't you in the Hiiragi's pockets too?" Kira asked.

"The Fukutsuchi were merely one of the lesser families that aided the Hiiragi's branch families. But yes, you can say I was, indeed, in their pockets." He looked at the kids, a hint of regret within his scowling expression. "You have to understand, both the Hiiragi and the families serving them are composed of magicians. I am one too: the existing styles vary depending on the country they originate from, as magic is a highly malleable force, but here in Japan we carry on the legacy of the Onmyodo system."

"But if your family used to serve the Hiiragi, why don't you do it anymore?" Akane asked.

"The Hiiragi, and the core of what will become the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, survived the Apocalypse Virus because they anticipated the possible risks that the research into the Seraph of the End could cause. Even then, not everyone was lucky enough to be in a safe place when the Virus hit." Fukutsuchi's scowl deepened. "I was fifteen years old at the time, and lucky enough to be inside one of the warded areas of the Hiiragi, but my parents and the rest of my family weren't. After a vaccination against the Apocalypse Virus was developed I joined the Army while aiding in the rescue of survivors and the rebuilding of what are now Japan's last human-controlled cities: Shibuya and Shinjuku. I was aware of the Hiiragi's bad reputation and understandably wary of them, but compared to the vampires and the Horsemen I thought they were the lesser evil. That changed, however, when they started selecting candidates to wield the newly developed Cursed Gears."

Yuu cocked his head. "Cursed what now?"

"Humanity's answer to fight against the vampires." Kira answered. "There are two kinds of demons: Lesser and Higher. Lesser demons are what becomes of vampires who have had their hearts removed, their Magnetite levels skyrocketing as a result: mindless, bloodthirsty creatures of depravity. Vampires, for all their faults, have some sense of honor. Lesser demons do not have any: they sink themselves to the depths of depravity in a desperate attempt to fill the void left inside them. Higher demons, on the other hand, are demons like Pixie and Nylarathotep and Zhen. They are made from pure Magnetite, and have perfect control over it. Lesser demons cannot control their magnetite levels, and thus sought other sources to feed on to try and stabilize it."

"Cursed Gears-" Isuna continued with a small smile while holding up a finger, as if pretending to be a teacher. "-are designed to seal a Lesser demon inside them, allowing the user to wield their power! Of course you have to be extremely strong-willed in order to do it, otherwise you'll become possessed by the demon and become their puppet!"

"And the more powerful the Lesser demon is, the more likely it is you'll end up taken over. The strongest Cursed Gears are known as the Black Demon series, which require individuals with considerably high mental fortitude. But I digress." Naoya shook his head. "Back to the matter at hand, the Hiiragi Family believed that humanity should be the dominant species, but more importantly they wanted Japan to become a global superpower. Hence why they too experimented with the Seraph of the End." At this the Hyakuya orphans blanched. To them it seemed like there was no end to human depravity. "Mind you, their attempts still paled in comparison to the Hyakuya Sect's cruelty, if only out of pragmatism. Nevertheless, before the Apocalypse the Hiiragi Family had been making plans to extend their influence across the globe and conquer other nations once they drive out the vampires here in Japan. However, when they discovered the nature of the Conception they decided to use it for the intended purpose of making their wishes a reality."

Fearfully Akane swallowed a lump in her throat. "W-what's that?"

"For the Hiiragi Family to reign as king of the new world order." Fukutsuchi spat with venom. "They'll develop a Reason and prove their worth to Kagutsuchi in order to remake the world in their image. One where they hold the world in the palm of their hand."

The children were stunned at the news. They were still in age when they didn't really care about who ruled the country, and were satisfied as long as themselves and those they cared about were happy and well-fed. However, after everything they heard about the Hiiragi and other organizations that experimented on the seraph gene they were understandably frightened at the thought that people like those could end up controlling not just the world, but one where their rule was as natural as the sky was blue.

"That's... that's not fair." Yuu gritted his teeth, tears threatening to spills from his eyes. "First the world went to shit, then we were threatened as fucking livestock by the damn bloodsuckers, and now that we finally escaped you're telling me some people are planning to destroy basically everything because they're power-hungry bastards? How is any of that fair?!"

"Life isn't fair, Yuuichirou Hyakuya." Naoya's cold tone slammed into the black-haired boy like a punch in the guts. "Your childhood was manipulated by humans craving forbidden power. Your world was ended by a spiteful God that cursed everyone for the sins of a few. Your last four years of life were a nightmare fashioned by monsters that deny your very humanity." He leaned forward, blood red eyes staring straight a Yuu, as if boring into his soul. "Let me give you a lesson born of experience: when the world pushes you down, you have only two choices. You can put on a fake smile and pretend nothing wrong... or you start pushing back."

Surprisingly Yuu managed to regain his bearings, a new edge in his voice. Something that made Naoya's smile widen. "And how the hell would you push back?"

"By taking control of the situation." Akane and Mikaela looked at Naoya in confusion. "When I told you it was possible to fix this broken world, I meant every word. And it's through the Conception that you can make it possible. Kagutsuchi's role is to give birth to a new world order, but one can also force it to restore the world to it's original state."

Mika gasped, eyes wide. "That's possible?!"

"Indeed it is. In fact, it was done once before. Forty years ago the Conception occurred at the hands of a man named Hikawa. However, a man bearing the body of a demon and the heart of a human stopped Hikawa and forced Kagutsuchi to return the world to its previous state, despite being forbidden from bearing a Reason. You see, demons are not allowed to possess a Reason of their own: instead, they must rally behind a Reason they can adhere to. That man was different, however, because he rejected the Reasons that were present back then. He was the proof that one can restore the world. And you can do the same, provided you have the strength to survive the Conception and what comes after it."

"But, but Naoya-san! How could we do that? We're just children!" Akane protested, feeling overwhelmed. "When will the Conception even happen?"

"In four years, four and a half at most." The eyes of the Hyakuya orphans widened at the immediate answer. "The preparations are already in motion. You may ask: why not stop them? The Conception may be prevented, true, but that would leave the world as it currently is." Naoya shrugged. "But this is something you also want, isn't it? The power to turn back the clock... and resurrect the dead." The children stiffened, and inside his mind the silver-haired man grinned. "To defeat Kagutsuchi and force it to restore the world to its previous state requires strength, something beyond what ordinary humans and demons can achieve. However, history proved that someone with the power of both can do it. Like a man with the body of a demon and the heart of a human... or a rare existence born of humanity but carrying the blood of God."

"You mean us." Mika's words were not a question, but a statement.

Naoya answered with silence and a knowing smirk.

Yuu, Mika and Akane looked at each other, their gazes seemingly carrying out a silent conversation. It was only after a few minutes that they turned back to the adults assembled before them. "Can... Can we think about this?"

* * *

 **A Seraph of the End x Shin Megami Tensei Crossover:**

 _ **"Paradise Lost"**_

* * *

 **Capitulum Duo: A** **missio Innocentia (Chapter Two: Loss of Innocence)**

The children had all left, returning to their room. The only people were left were Naoya, Fukutsuchi, Isuna and Kira. Isuna and Fukutsuchi all wore frowns on their faces, whereas Kira was indifferent, drinking from his cup of coffee. Naoya, however, was fiddling with his phone, as if making preparations. A strained silence fell over the room, though it was quickly broken by Isuna as made her protests known. "I don't like this." she said, biting her lower lip. "They're kids. They should be having a happy life. Not... not whatever this all is!" She looked at Naoya, tears stinging at her eyes. "Naoya-sama, they won't make it. If-if the Hiiragi find out about them-!"

"They won't." Naoya cut her off. "I've already ensured that much. It took a bit of work, but Ichinose was able to pull a few strings."

"So we're doing it." Fukutsuchi muttered in distaste, looking at the ground. "We're heading to Shibuya?"

"Correction. Kira is."

Kira blinked. "...Beg your pardon, Naoya-sama?"

"My actions have, unfortunately, made the Hiiragi Family extremely wary of me." the silver-haired man said with a shrug. "The JIDA has been given explicit orders to apprehend me, especially since I've found a way to delay the Conception. They fear I may possibly dismantle their operations and want to eliminate me as soon as possible. That's why, if they choose the path I think they will, you'll be the Hyakuya children's caretaker."

"...Naoya-dono, with all due respect, why on Earth are you making me responsible for their well-being?"

"I agree!" Isuna protested. "He's a villain! A scumbag! Apathetic! He'd throw them to the wolves! Naoya-sama, please, let me take care of them!"

"For once I agree with the delusional attention whore." Kira continued, uncaring of the outraged and angry look Isuna sent his way. "I will still do it if it's your order, Naoya-sama, but I would like to know why me."

"First, stop fighting you two." The bespectacled girl swallowed her next words, settling for silently fuming. "And for why, that's easy: Kimitada is a defector from the JIDA, so he's in the same position as me. And when it comes to training you, Anko, would likely coddle them. Don't deny it."

"Uuuh... but it's an Idol's job to maker her fans happy..." She looked down and pouted, index fingers pushed together.

"Kira's training, on the other hand, is guaranteed to be harsh but effective. That said, I'm not sending them right now." Naoya leaned back on his chair, still fiddling with his cellphone. "Anko is right in that they're still kids at the moment. For the next two, three years they will stay here in Akibahara with us. Until then feel free to help in their training."

The three Demon Summoners nodded in understanding. "Naoya-dono, should I prepare the Amala Drum?" Fukutsuchi asked.

"Yes. They're not ready yet for Horsemen and Rogue Vampires. I'll prepare their COMPs."

* * *

Ferid Bathory grunted as another metal pike was rammed into his arm, the pain unpleasant but not unbearable. The first four pikes were used to pin his limbs to the wall, while the following ones were used on sensitive but nonlethal (for a vampire) areas. "Not that I don't enjoy your attentions, Little Krul, but don't you think its'-"

A fist, small and delicate but nonetheless deadly, slammed into the vampire's face with enough force to dislodge a few teeth. "Shut. Up." Krul Tepes, Third Progenitor and Vampire Queen of Japan, snarled. Her appearance was that of a petite girl with calf-length, rosy-pink hair tied up in pigtails with black, bat-like ornaments. She wore a black, frilly-style dress with a layer of white ruffles over another layer of black ones on the skirt part, a white choker with a red ribbon around her neck, detached black sleeves that extended past her hands and a black cape with a red interior. Her slender legs were clad in a pair of knee-length, black heeled boots. "Did you really think there would not be consequences for your little stunt? Especially after it ended in such a disaster?"

"I have no idea what you mean." Ferid replied innocently, smiling despite the blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. "What did I do wrong?"

Krul's response was to throw another punch, this one aimed directly at one of the metal spikes impaled into his body. It was shoved further in, making Ferid hiss in pain. "Don't play dumb." Krul said, her red eyes seemingly more feral than normal. "Not only did you kill my precious little Seraphs, you allowed a few of them to escape. I don't know who it was that managed to beat you to within an inch of your life, but I can assure you, I can do _much_ worse." She narrowed her eyes and delivered another punch, causing another spike to go deeper into Ferid as he once again hissed, struggling not to scream. He didn't want to give Krul the satisfaction of hearing his pitiful cries. "You're lucky I'm not leaving you out in the sun to burn or throw you to the humans. Actually, I would find that to be an act of mercy."

"Mercy...?" Ferid gasped, struggling to breath as he gave the pinkette a mocking smile. "My dearest Krul, I don't think you're even capable of-"

He was cut off when Krul swiftly plunged her hand into his chest. His blood went cold when he felt her hands wrap around his heart, gripping it like a vice. This time he could not bite back his screams as pain ran through his body at full speed. Out of sadistic pleasure on her part Krul dug her nails into the thin, tender flesh in her hand, making Ferid squirm. "I would say that this is fair recompense." she said with a thin smile, fangs poking out from the corners of her mouth. "However, I might be willing to let you stay as you are, pinned here and tortured for a few more days, if you tell me who exactly it was that managed to injure you to this extent. It was obviously not a member of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army since very few possess such destructive power, if the ruined entrance we found you in was of any indication. Which means, it was someone else. Who was it?"

"I-I don't know!" Ferid gasped, struggling to breath. Krul's eyes narrowed as began to tug. Realizing she was serious he screamed. "I DON'T KNOW! IT WAS A MAN WITH A DEMON! T-THE CRAWLING CHAOS!"

Krul's stopped, the sadistic expression on her lips changing into a neutral one. "What did you just say."

"Nyarlathotep itself. A true _Higher_ demon, not those poor mockeries the JIDA like to stuff inside their weapons." Ferid hissed. "I'm not lying: the blasted thing introduced itself. If you don't believe me go and check out the residual traces of Magnetite yourself: I know you met a Vile a few hundred years ago, it's impossible to forget the feeling they give off."

Krul gave another small tug, making Ferid scream again. "Are you telling me-" She snarled. "That it was a Demon Summoner who did it? A Demon Summoner who, in this day and age, managed to not only make a contract with one of the strongest demons there are, but also summon it to beat your ass? By himself?"

"There is more..." Ferid gasped, unused to being so weak. His battle with the demon could have gone differently if only he had his weapon, but he didn't thought it would be necessary for what he had in mind. "Through you're not going to believe me."

"Try me."

He frowned. "That man summoned Nyarlathotep using a device shaped like a cellphone. A device that also made him as fast and strong as me without using a weapon. Not only that, he was also able to use a demon spell."

Krul's eyes widened. A cellphone? One that put him on even ground with Ferid? Her mind raced, and eventually she came to a realization.

The only person she knew who had anything to do with those was a man she had met once before. A man that had managed to terrify her to the core, and earned quite the reputation among the Second, Third and Fourth Progenitors.

 _'What the hell are you doing, Cain...?'_

* * *

"Let's do it."

Mika looked up from where he was sitting on the bed to stare at a determined-looking Yuu. The blonde was afraid he already knew what his friend meant, but he had to ask anyway. "Do what, Yuu-chan?"

"Let's kick this Kagutsuchi guy's butt and make him bring everyone back to life!" He grinned. "Except the bloodsuckers of course, they can rot in hell. I'm sure he can make an exception for them."

The blond boy stared at the black-haired one with a deadpan look before facepalming. "Only you, Yuu-chan, can say something so outrageous as easily as that."

"But think about it for a second." Yuu insisted, sitting cross-legged on his bed with his arms folded, a serious expression on his face. "That smiling bastard said it himself, right? All we have to do is beat Kagutsuchi using that whole Harmonizer whatchamacallit thingie. Everything can then go back to the way it used to be! We can see Chihiro, Kouta, Ako, Fumie and Taichi again, we can get rid of all the bad stuff that happened to us... We could-"

"But what if history repeats itself?" Mika interrupted Yuu, staring at his friend with an unusual expression. It almost looked like... doubt? "From what Naoya-san told us Kagutsuchi caused this Conception to happen before. And from the sounds of it, it has been done several times over. We can restore the world to how it used to be, true, but what if another Conception comes around later? Knowing what we do now; do you really want to go back to the orphanage, Yuu-chan?"

"Of course! If I didn't end up there I would have never met you, Akane-chan and the others." Yuu frowned: it wasn't like Mika to be so pessimistic. He looked over at Akane, who had been oddly quiet during the conversation. "What do you think, Akane-chan?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You're involved in this too."

"I..." Akane bit her lower lip. "I want to see the others again. I'd give anything to never lose them ever again." Yuu smiled widely, but before he could say anything she continued on while shaking her head. "But Mika also brings up a good point: this Conception thing could happen again. It could happen years after we die of old age, sickness or accidents. It could happen not long after we restore our world. But it'll still happen. That, and..." She gripped the hem of her pants, tears stinging her eyes. "There's... there's what we are to consider too."

"Yes, we're part angel or something. So what?!" Yuu jumped off the bed and bumped a palm on his chest, startling the other two kids. "I'm still me! Mika is still Mika! Akane is still Akane! Nothing has changed! So what if the Conception will happen again even if we restore the world? If we can beat Kagutsuchi we can do it a second time, a third, however many times he comes back! And if it happens after we die..." He paused, as if considering something, before nodding sharply. "Then, before that happens we make sure there's someone to stop it in our place. But if we do nothing and just watch, we will still die in four years." He looked down, shoulders slumping and hands balling into fists. "I don't want to lose members of my family ever again."

"...Yuu-chan." Mika's eyes were wide in disbelief and happiness. "That's the first time you called us a family!"

"Yuu-chan!" A crying and sobbing Akane tackled the black-haired boy, sending both to the ground. "Yuu-chan! Yuu-chan!"

Yuu, reduced to a blushing mess, tried to gently pry her off but, seeing her cling to him like that, eventually relented and let her hug him.

And then Mika, also crying and smiling, went over and hugged him. "H-Hey!"

"S-sorry!" Mika sniffled. "But you asked for this!"

Yuu wanted to protest, but the warm and fuzzy feeling that was burning in his chest didn't allow him to. Instead he could only bask in their warmth as he slowly wrapped his arms around the other children, pulling them closer.

Suddenly everything started to come into focus; this was all that he had left now. The whole world was in shambles. Everyone they cared about was gone. The people they thought of like parents were monsters that were just using them. A man they knew nothing about was offering them a chance to make things right. And yet, in the center of all of it, they were all right here. Just three children, seemingly about to be thrust into something that they didn't fully understand. They could only see a small portion of the picture. But even so, there was only one thing within Yuuichiro Hyakuya's mind as he trembled, tears starting to fall from his eyes.

This was his only family now. Mikaela and Akane were all he had left.

And he'd be damned if he was going to lose them. He'd do whatever it took to protect them. God, Angel, Demon, Vampire?

 _'Bring. It. On!'_

* * *

Their decision made the children returned to the room where they had breakfast, only to find Kira playing with his cellphone and the others nowhere in sight. "Naoya-sama is waiting for you." Without looking up from the screen he pointed at the other door with a thumb. "If you have something to say, tell it to him."

"Couldn't ask for a better deal." Yuu walked past him with a snort. "Who want to have anything to do with a jerk like you?"

"Sorry!" Mika and Akane apologized to Kira before following after Yuu, but it was like Kira didn't even hear them.

After the Hyakuya orphans left they found themselves inside what looked like a shopping center, both sides of the corridor full of shops selling batteries, earpieces and other electronic products. All of them were in an obvious state of disrepair, being left untouched for four years, but it wasn't quite as ruined as the outside world.

"I remember this." Akane softly said while looking up at a poster showing five girls in colorful clothes posing over a dazzling background. "The director said she would buy this film for New Year if we were on our best behavior..."

"A good one, but sadly films inspired by anime aren't always up to the standards of the original series." Isuna leaned with her elbows on the counter of a shop that, if the lack of dust and good conditions were of any indication, has been cleaned regularly. "I still have the DVD. Do you want to see it together?"

"Really?!" The brown-haired girl's eyes sparkled. The vampires never bothered giving the children some kind of entertainment, so the thought of being able to watch anime after so long was, to Akane, amazing.

Mika and Yuu chuckled softly. How long had it been since they had seen her this cheerful?

"You know, I've been meaning to ask something." Yuu said to Isuna. Out of everyone that was affiliated with Naoya she seemed the most trustworthy. That, and she actually had made the effort to get to know the three of them, whereas Kira was cold and uncaring. They couldn't tell much about Fukutsuchi yet, beside the fact the man was skittish around them, if only because he seemed to have more important things on his mind. "What the hell crawled up that Kira bastard's butt and died?"

Isuna sighed, shaking her head. "That's how he's been for as long as I've known him." she told them. "The only person he treats with even a modicum of respect is Naoya-sama. He even took on his family name for whatever reason."

"Eh?" Mika blinked. "His surname isn't Minegishi?"

"Nope. Anyway, have you guys decided what you're going to do?" The three children nodded in unison. Isuna didn't need to hear their answers, because the look in their eyes told her everything. It was saddening to think about what these children had to go through, and it was even more so when she thought about what they were about to get themselves into. Rather than let them see her own sadness, however, she put on a smile. After all **Idols** were meant to cheer up people. "That's great~ You'll find Naoya-sama at the end of the hall!"

Mika bowed to the older girl. "Thank you Isuna-san."

"No!" She thrust her arm forward, one finger waving left and right. "Call me Anko-chan!"

"...You're older than us." Yuu pointed out in a deadpan.

The girl flared her nostrils, a clear sign she would not be moved in her demands.

The first to cave in was Akane. "Thank you... Anko-chan?"

"Oh my! You are so cute!" Isuna took another dazzling pose, as if getting ready for people to take her picture. "It is only natural for an Idol to help her adoring fans!"

Yes, the children reflected, Isuna seemed the most trustworthy of the bunch... and also the most odd.

After saying their goodbyes to the older girl the Hyakuya orphans kept walking down the corridor, and at the end emerged into an open circular area, an escalator on one side leading to the second floor of the building. Naoya was waiting for them there, sitting on one of the unmoving stairs, while Fukutsuchi was standing to the side with some kind of large metal cylinder covered in strange symbols next to him.

"Do you know why I chose Akihabara as my base?" Naoya greeted them with a question. Before Yuu, Mika and Akane could reply he continued. "It is quite simple: the technology that makes running the Demon Summoning Program possible requires complex components, and Akihabara was the biggest source of electronics of old Tokyo. A simple solution to a complicate problem. There is a lesson to be learned here, I'm sure."

Naoya stood up and began to walk towards the children. "I can tell it from your eyes, but I still want to hear your answer. Yuuichirou Hyakuya. Mikaela Hyakuya. Akane Hyakuya." He stopped and looked at them with a neutral expression. "What is your decision?"

"We'll do it!" Yuu declared resolutely, Mika and Akane nodding on either side of him and resting a hand on his shoulders. "We'll beat Kagutsuchi and restore the world!"

The silver-haired man tilted his head, silently observing them for a few seconds before smirking. "Excellent choice. Kimitada."

"Here." Fukutsuchi walked up to the children and handed to each of them a cellphone: black and green for Yuu, black and white for Mika, and black and copper for Akane. "Your own cellphones, modified to run both the Demon Summoning Program and the Harmonizer. We call them COMPs. Insert your info, but don't open the DSP yet."

"Why not?" Mika asked as he turned on his own cellphone. He never used one before, but the controls seemed easy enough.

It was Naoya who answered. "Because we must make sure you are ready for your Initiation as a Demon Summoner, otherwise you'll die."

"W-what?"

"There are a few ways to forge a contract with a demon. The most generally accepted one is to force it into submission. In simpler terms, defeat the demon and prove your strength. After that you earn its loyalty." Naoya told them. "Ordinarily it would be a difficult feat to accomplish for an ordinary human, but the Harmonizer more than makes up for that. And thankfully it also applies to weapons you have on your person." He then walked over to the odd cylinder. "This is what we refer to as an Amala Terminal. It's one of many scattered throughout Tokyo, all connected by a series of virtual pathways. The connection, the Amala Network, is a cyber world all on its own, and it's inhabited by demons."

Fukutsuchi spoke up. "This Terminal, however, has been slightly modified to allow us to directly enter the Amala Network. It will serve as your training ground and a place to increase the power of contracted demons. The Demon Summoning Program has a few more features, but we'll get into those later. Before you even think you're ready to take on demons, you'll need something to make up for your constitution."

"Hey!" Yuu cried indignantly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The man gave Yuu a deadpanned look. "...Do you honestly expect me to believe that a child little over a decade old can kill a demon with his bare hands, Harmonizer or no?" He was met with utter silence. "That's what I thought. At any rate, follow me. I've already procured some equipment for you all. Choose whatever you feel is best, just don't expect to find a Cursed Gear."

Naoya watched them leave: so far everything was going as he thought it would. _'Now, the only question is whether or not that goal of returning the old world back to normal will remain unchanged once they become exposed to the allure of Kagutsuchi's power.'_ He reflected: he was sure that the odds of them clinging to their original goal were low, especially once they entered the Vortex World.

As he waited the air suddenly shifted; Naoya chuckled as he glanced outside, finding the world unchanged. "Quite the fast response." he remarked to no one in particular before he left the hall for the outside. It was early morning, so the sun had already broken out. The air was frighteningly chilly, a thin layer of frost having developed over anything that wasn't already covered in snow. "There's hardly a reason for you to be hiding, Krul. In fact, it's rather unbecoming."

A small petite figure stepped out from the shadows of a nearby building. It was a young girl who looked around Akane's age, but Naoya knew better. This woman was old; not as old as he truly was, but old enough to understand that she was in enemy territory, and the man before her was dangerous. _Extremely_ so. "That's quite the youthful form you've taken on, Cain." she said with a huff, showing clear animosity. "And it appears you've become quite brazen. Taking _my_ angels."

"I should ask how you knew where to look for me, but I believe I know the answer." Naoya shrugged his shoulders. "I take it Ferid sung like a bird when you threatened to turn him into a Lesser demon?"

"MY Angels." Krul ignored him, narrowing her eyes as she put a hand to her hip. "I want. Them. _Back._ "

"I would say you seem to have forgot myself and the Angels aren't on the best of terms, but it's clear my poor attempt at humor is wasted on you right now." He put one hand in his pocket, the other one hanging freely. "So I'll instead give you three reasons to retract your demand. The first is that trying to force the issue will end very poorly for you: that armband protects you from UV light rays, but it will be useless against a full powered Hamaon."

"Oh, really?" She revealed her fangs. "I can buy you contracting a demon that is a perfect counter against me, but you forget I have all the vampires of Japan at my command. Can you counter that?"

"Second reason: do that, and the other members of the Progenitor Council will learn how you willingly broke one of their most important rules."

Krul's eyes widened in disbelief before snarling. "You son of a bitch!"

"Technically it's my aunt who is one." He shrugged before showing a smirk that managed to make Krul shudder. "Third reason: Mahiru Hiiragi offered to reunite you with your brother. I am offering you a way to restore both his physical body and memories."

Following those words it was as if all emotions were drained from Krul Tepes, leaving her an emotionless doll that stared at Naoya with an empty gaze. They remained staring at each other for a long time, only the occasional gust of wind breaking the silence, before the pink-haired girl spoke again, her tone completely emotionless. "If you know about that, then you also know what I told her I would do if I discovered she was lying to me."

"Something horrible, I'm sure." Naoya stopped smiling. "Do you think you can do worse than God?"

"I will certainly _try._ So damn you, Cain, and start speaking already. Because I'm listening."

* * *

Fukutsuchi lead the children to the second floor of the ex-shopping center and inside an airsoft guns shop, the glass of the display window having been shattered a long time ago. "The owner of this place apparently sold real weapons under the counter, probably to the organized crime. It didn't help him when the Virus struck." He gestured to the racks and shelves full of weapons. "No guns for now, and that includes the one you're hiding under your clothes." Mika froze, cheeks blushing at the thought of having being discovered. "Even with the Harmonizer you need very powerful bullets to harm Demons and vampires, and trying to use a gun that can shoot them would just hurt you now."

He reached to one table and picked up a wakizashi. "Close and medium-ranged weapons, on the other hand, are more reliable. This is because they remain close to the Harmonizer, and so there is less energy loss. Cursed Gears, as the name indicates, have a curse on them that hinder a vampire's regeneration. Luckily for us there is a Demon Spell capable of doing the same: I'll teach it to you once you're ready. Now, choose a weapon."

The children moved around the room, seeking out anything that they felt would suit them. Akane was the first to find a weapon that was adequate for her: it was a spear fashioned similarly to a naginata, though the curved pointed blade looked like it had seen quite a bit of combat. Yuu was the second to discover a weapon, that being a simple nodachi. It was slightly chipped and the grip looked worn out, but he thought it would work well for him; he had more than enough practice with the bokken back at the orphanage after he was old enough to actually be allowed to hold one. Mika was the last, deciding for what looked like a simple rapier, albeit an odd one that had a golden hilt with a violet-red blade.

Fukutsuchi smiled thinly at Mika's weapon. "An odd choice, but not one I would disagree with." he said, slightly amused. "That's a Relic. It's similar to a Cursed Gear, except its true power can only be wielded by vampires and non-humans. Likely for the best, since if a human tries to use it they'd die of blood loss." Mika paled and stared at the rapier warily, looking as if he was expecting it to come alive any second. "Relax. It won't kill you. As I said, only a vampire can unlock its power."

"Why do you even have a vampire weapon?" Yuu asked, eyeing the weapon with suspicion.

"I picked it up after killing one of the vampires that came to investigate Akihabara. I wanted to study how it worked." He replied. "Just remember to never utter the words 'Sword, drink my blood' while holding it and you'll be fine."

Mika still felt uncomfortable, but he stuck with his choice: it was, after all still a powerful-looking weapon. Fukutsuchi then led the children away into another room, this one being bare and rather spacious. "Now we can get into the brass tacks. Here's how this will work: you'll be activating your COMPS and booting up the Demon Summoning Program. However, you'll do it one at a time: if all three of you are fighting at the same time you'll get distracted. And believe me, that is the very last thing you want to happen."

"What kind of demon will we summon?" Akane asked. "Will it be something like Kira-san's Nyarlathotep, or a Pixie?"

"It depends on you, actually. We're not entirely sure why, but Naoya-san believes that certain demons of specific Races resonate with a particular summoner. For example, Kira has a natural affinity with Vile demons. It's also partly the reason why he can control Nyarlathotep so well." the man shrugged. "However, if you're worried you'll face off against a monster like that, then don't worry: the first demon you summon will be relatively weak. It will be up to you to increase its power, or use it to call on something stronger. We'll get into that later though." He then put a hand to his hip. "So, which of you three wants to start us off?"

Yuu immediately raised his hand into the air. "I'll do it!" he said, eager to summon his demon and tame it. "All I gotta do is beat it, right?!"

"That's generally the only sure way to make a demon submit to you." Fukutsuchi hummed. "Of course you could try to reason with it, but that rarely works out unless you are very familiar with how that type of demon think. In any case Yuuichiro-kun, step inside the circle. Once you do I'll erect a barrier: this will prevent the demon from escaping. Of course, it also means you won't be able to leave it either."

"That's it? No need to worry: I'll beat my demon in less than a minute!" Yuu grinned with confidence. He quickly made his way inside the circle, nodachi already drawn and ready to strike.

"In that case you'll be interested in knowing that you're holding your sword like a bokken, which is wrong." Fukutsuchi informed Yuu with a dispassionate tone. "One hand near the top of the hilt and one near the bottom. Keep it horizontally and to the side. A nodachi's length is made to keep your enemy at a distance, never let them get too close or you'll unable to properly move it."

"Uh? Oh, okay!" Yuu hurried to follow the older man's instructions.

"Better." From within one sleeve Fukutsuchi took out an ofuda and held it in front of his face, eyes closed as he quietly muttered a magical formula. The circle under Yuu's feet began to glow before a translucent half-sphere of energy formed around the outer edge of the circle, sealing it from the outside world. "Now, Yuuichiro-kun: open your cellphone and start up the Demon Summoning Program. Once the demon appears quickly put it back into your pockets: you'll die if you lose it!"

"Gotcha!" Without wasting time Yuu took out his cellphone and pressed with his thumb on the five-pointed star icon. Immediately the screen turned black, white strings of numbers and letters scrolling down too fast for the boy to read. Then another window appeared over the still rolling script.

 _...All conditions green._

 _DEMON SUMMONING PROGRAM ready to boot._

 _Booting DEMON SUMMONING PROGRAM._

 _None is righteous, no, not one._

 _Peaceful days died._

 _Let's Survive._

 _'Holy cow! Can it be more ominous?'_ Yuu thought in shock, even though he had to admit those world fit the current state of the world, before the screen lit up like a flashlight, streams of black and red energy shooting out and gathering in front of him.

At first it was no bigger than a giant writhing ball. Then it began to expand, forming into a somewhat human shape: first came the torso, then the arms and legs and finally the head, only it wasn't shaped remotely like a human skull. After that the physical skin of the creature began to develop, revealing patted fur and and a leather breastplate, metal pipe in hand. True to Yuu's observations the head was shaped like a dog: pointed ears, a narrow snout lined with teeth and blazing eyes.

Upon its arrival the demon lowered itself into a crouch and released an ear-splitting howl, causing the Hyakuya orphans to cringe and put a hand over their ears. "A Kobold, huh?" Fukutsuchi mused. "One of the weakest demons around, provided it doesn't use that annoying Racial Ability."

"Racial what?!"

"Focus, Yuuichiro-kun. The battle's already begun. By the way, duck."

Yuu barely had time to comprehend the magician's words before he saw the now-named Kobold leap at him, pipe in hand. Wisely the child rolled out of the way, letting the demon strike the ground fruitlessly. For a moment the pipe looked to be stuck into the ground, but with a tug it was smoothly removed. Yuu immediately fell into the stance Fukutsuchi taught him earlier, eyeing the demon warily.

"FIGHT ME, HUMAN!" The demon growled, the tone so high it sounded like it was constantly shouting. It sniffed the air like a real dog, its blazing eyes showing something similar to confusion. "ANGEL? BOTH?"

Yuu glared in anger at the demon. "Shut up! I'm human!" With a shout he dashed forward and swung his weapon in a vertical arc. The blade slashed the Kobold on the stomach, cutting through its leather breastplate.

"GRAAAAH!" The demon roared in pain. "ME WIN THE SAME!" The metal pipe caught Yuu in the side and tossed him to the ground.

"Yuu-chan!" Akane cried out in fright.

Mika was about to leap into the battle to help Yuu, but Fukutsuchi's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "No need to worry. Look."

"Damnit! That hurt!" Yuu stood up, grimacing as he held his side... only to blink in confusion. "That... didn't hurt as much as I thought?"

"Did you forget already? The Harmonizer allows humans to fight like demons. That include their extraordinary toughness." The magician reminded Yuu. "Now, keep fighting! Even a demon as weak as a Kobold will not stay down unless you destroy his brain or heart."

Yuu opened his mouth to retort, but the Kobold was already upon him again, charging and swinging his steel pipe like a madman. Dodging to the right Yuu took hold of his nodachi with both hands and dived right at the wolf, blade aimed at its leg. _'A smart move.'_ Fukutsuchi thought.

The blade struck and pierced into the demonic flesh. Red seeped into the blade and splattered into the floor, causing the Kobold to cry out in pain. "AAARGH!" Yuu quickly pulled out his weapon, evading the revenge strike from the Kobold. "ME EAT YOU WHOLE!"

"Just try it, asswipe!"

"GRAAAAHH!" The Kobold clenched his fists, his muscles bulging out and blood spurting out of his wounds.

"Yuuichirou-kun! Dodge!" Recognizing the signs Fukutsuchi warned the boy.

"Why-WOAH!" Reacting on pure instinct Yuu dived to the side, barely managing to get out of the way of the demon's next assault. Unlike the first time, when it merely pierced the ground, this time the steel pipe shattered the concrete, creating a deep crack. The boy's eyes widened at the sight. _'Holy shit! If that hit me I would have died!'_

"Every member of a specific Race of demons share a certain skill, their Racial Ability." The magician quickly explained. "Touki demons like Kobold possess the [Aggravate] Ability, which allow them to sacrifice part of their own health to increase the damage of their blows."

"NOW YOU TELL ME THIS?!"

"Yes. Also, dodge again."

Yuu wanted oh-so-badly to punch Fukutsuchi, but for now he needed to focus on his survival, doing whatever he could to avoid being smashed by a steel pipe wielded by a monstrous wolf hell-bent on turning him into mush.

Still... if things were this dangerous for him, how were Akane and Mika going to fare?

* * *

"So, what's your decision Krul?"

"...You make an interesting point, Cain." the Third Progenitor gritted her teeth, hoping that if she glared hard enough the man in front of her would burst into flames. "I'll allow you to hold onto my angels. But, if you're attempting to cross me in any way..."

"I'm afraid that you'll have to take my word for it." Naoya shrugged before grinning viciously. "Or, if that is not enough, you can certainly trust the fact the target of my hatred is only one, and that everything I do is for the sake of revenge."

"Your hatred." The vampire Queen repeated with an unimpressed tone. "How long have you held on that hatred, Cain?"

Naoya's face turned into a mask of granite. "How long have you held on your desire to see your brother again, Krul?"

She wanted to gag at the thought they had something in common, yet decided to not comment on that. "Never forget our agreement. I don't take kindly to being used."

With that she turned around and walked away, vanishing back into the shadows. Naoya watched her disappear before smiling thinly. _'It's so easy to manipulate someone like her.'_ he thought in amusement while walking back into the building. _'I didn't lie about being able to revive Asura Tepes, however. Still, she really should be more careful: if she puts her begrudging trust in someone, they could easily take advantage of her.'_

Then again, he supposed he wasn't any different. He'd do anything to make sure his little brother would be safe.

 _'Speaking of which, I should contact him soon. As much as I appreciate his efforts in destroying the remaining labs we're still on a time limit. I should-'_

 ***BOOM***

The building shook violently for a few seconds. Naoya blinked. "...What in the world?" He muttered while making his way into the room where Fukutsuchi was allowing the children to obtain their demons. The sight was somewhat boggling, but nothing quite so outlandish as the one time he met Mara for the first time. The ground was partially scorched within the barrier, with Yuuichiro lying flat on his back, clothes somewhat smeared in soot. Akane and Mikaela looked stunned while Fukutsuchi looked impressive. "What happened?"

"He sneaked a grenade in when I wasn't looking." he said, lips curled into a grin. "Quite the resourceful little brat. Unfortunately..."

Yuuichiro let out a small whine, clutching his shoulder.

"...He had to let the Kobold smash his shoulder first. It'll need to be fixed, but a few Dia should make it right as rain."

The demon, meanwhile, was missing both an arm and almost half of his chest. Yet he still stood tall, red and black energy pouring out of his wounds instead of blood. "GRAAAGH... ME LOST. IF ME DEFEATED BY ONE WHO SUMMONS ME, THEY BECOME MASTER. ME TOUKI KOBOLD. TO MEET YOU, NICE!"

Kobold's body completely scattered in streams of black and red energy that flowed back into Yuu's cellphone. Fukutsuchi waved another ofuda, and the barrier disappeared. Despite the pain Yuu found himself grinning widely at his victory. _'Being clever pays off!'_ He thought with glee before looking at the other orphans. "Mika, Akane. Did you-"

That was as far as he got before Mika punched him the face. "YOU IDIOT!"

"Make it more than a few." Naoya commented dispassionately as both Mika and Akane began to berate Yuu for his recklessness. He had to admit, he found the sight quite amusing. "On a scale of one to ten, how well did he do?"

"I'd say a solid six." Fukutsuchi shrugged. "Sloppy and full of holes, but plenty of potential." He looked at the children, which were still in the middle of beating Yuuichiro over the head for his recklessness and called out to them. "Alright, that's enough. Save your complaints to the idiot for later."

Yuu groaned, rubbing his now sore head while a fuming Mika stomped away, leaving him alone with Akane. "I can't believe how stupid you were." the girl grumbled, causing him to backpedal. An angry Akane was always scary, but the look she was giving him scared him far more than any vampire right now. "Not to mention reckless! Were you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"B-but I-"

"NO BUTS!"

Another whack from the flat end of her naginata came down on Yuu's head, creating another throbbing bump. "Ouch!"

"Children." Fukutsuchi muttered. "Little wonder Kira finds them so annoying." He then looked up at Mika, who had already drawn his rapier. "Are you prepared for this, Mikaela-kun?"

"Yes." the blonde replied. "Will I have the same demon as Yuu-chan?"

Naoya shook his head. "Most likely not. Even so don't let your guard down. Underestimate a demon at your own peril." Mika nodded, taking the man's advice to heart. He stepped into the arena and whipped out his COMP. Fukutsuchi brought out an ofuda, erecting the barrier again. "Sorry I was late. We had an unexpected guest."

"Let me guess, our esteemed landlord?" the mage asked with a droll. "Unless there's another Third Progenitor who can sneak into Akihabara. I assume she was none too pleased by us taking the Seraphs?"

"I made her see reason, though she's made it clear she doesn't hold us in high regard. How did the demon react to Yuuichiro?"

"It could feel the Seraph Gene in his body, which means demons will be able to identify them."

That was useful information. Of course it also meant the brats might end up being targeted by demons more frequently than normal given how they'd kill for the chance to get more magnetite and kill an angel in one fell swoop, but that would only make the children grow stronger faster.

Mika started the demon summoning program, creating another writhing mass of black and red. It expanded and formed into another figure: unlike Yuu's Kobold it was avian in nature, with wings and a bird-like form to it. However it also had a humanoid body, armed with talons and claws: instead of a mouth it possessed a sharp beak lined with teeth that looked more like daggers. Fukutsuchi promptly whistled. "A Fallen? How ironic."

"I'm the Fallen Gagyson." The demon declared in a proud voice. His baleful eyes narrowed as he stared at a nervous Mika. "This smell... I see. Child of man, you bears the blood of the Trumpet Blower. Has the End of Days already come to this world?"

"Don't call me that!" The blonde gritted his teeth as he pointed his rapier at the creature. "I'm not going to destroy the world! I will... I will save it!"

"Kakaka! Do you plan to rebel against your fate? How amusing!" The demon laughed as his gaze swept past Mika to the others outside the barrier, though he seemed to falter slightly when catching sight of Naoya. "You think you have a choice? You are but a vessel for a power that exists only to fulfill the will of the True Enemy. If you truly believe you have the strength to overcome your fate, show it to me now or die!"

Gagyson's claws begin to crackle with electricity. "Get away Mika-kun!" Fukutsuchi urged the blonde. "He's going to use a spell!"

 **"ZIO!"**

Mika barely rolled out of the way in time to avoid a bolt of electricity that came flying right at him. This shocked Yuu and Akane (no pun intended), who immediately rounded on the two adults. "What the hell was that?!"

"Demons are capable of utilizing magic spells, albeit of a different art than those of your standard magicians." Naoya answered, watching the fight carefully. "The spell Gagyson used, Zio, as you saw is an electric-based attack. Unfortunately for the demon, using magic means expending spiritual power: sooner or later, it'll run out. It all comes down to whether or not Mikaela can outrun the demon and capitalize on its weakness."

"This is also a good opportunity to explain about a Demon's strength and weaknesses." The magician explained. "There are many types of demon spells, but those that inflict damage are generally either physical or elemental in nature. For example, there are demons who take reduced damage from fire, are completely immune to it or are even able to absorb it to heal themselves. This may even apply to physical attacks, so attacking without knowing what your opponent is weak against will end poorly."

"In the case of Gagyson he's weak to the element Force, which you can think of as wind strong enough to hurt." Naoya continued. "Using it would not only cause more damage to the demon but would also stun it temporarily, earning you precious time."

Akane frowned. "But, we can't use magic." Naoya stared at her with a knowing smile. "...Can we?"

Mika rolled out of the way, avoiding another thunder bolt coming his way. Gagyson quickly closed the gap, talons bearing down on the blonde, who skillfully deflected them with his rapier. Sparks flew between them; as Mika pushed Gagyson out of the way he fell into a combative stance: his feet were evenly spread, hips squared and sword held firmly in front of him at an angle.

 _'I can't beat this thing like Yuu-chan did. Brute force won't work here.'_ Mika thought. _'Gagyson's too fast. I can barely block its strikes. I need to slow it down somehow.'_ His eyes traced over the demon's features, looking for any possible weakness he could exploit. Cracks in the armor. Anything like that. _'Listening to Naoya-san's talk about magic... Could this be like rock-paper-scissors? One weak to the other?'_ If lightning was Gagyson's forte, then would the opposite be its weakness? But what could it be? _'And how can I exploit it? Am I even capable of using magic?'_

"Focus, Mika-kun." Fukutsuchi advised the young boy. "The COMP does more than summon demons and make you fight on equal footing. The tools of victory are already at your disposal."

 _'What does that mean?!'_

 **"ZIO!"**

Mika side-stepped, avoiding another blast. Gagyson dive-bombed after the blonde, intending to crash into him. Mika's mind raced, trying to think of a way he could stop the demon's advance. If only he had some way of defeating this damned demon! If only he could conjure wind-!

 _'Wait... Conjure wind?'_ Fukutsuchi's words rang in his head. His eyes widened in realization: that could work, but what did he have to do? Visualize it? Thinking on the spot Mika did just that: he envisioned wind dancing in his palm. A small, whirling vortex that would knock that damned annoying bird right of the sky.

And somehow Mikaela Hyakuya's desperate attempt bore fruits: razor-sharp wind, tinted a bright green, swirled into his hand, tightly wrapped into a ball. **"Zan!"** Mikaela found himself screaming as he threw his hand up, launching the ball of wind right at the demon just as it came within striking range. The ball of wind exploded right in Gagyson's face, releasing sharp crescent-shaped blades that sliced straight into its body. The creature let out a high-pitched whine before it found itself smashing into the ground, tumbling away from Mika.

"Human magic is something that everyone with the right amount of talent can learn if they put enough effort into it, but it's not very useful against Demons." Naoya said to the stunned children. "So I made the Demon Summoning Program able to analyze, copy and replicate Demon spells. Your own COMP already contain the data of four spells that use fire, force, ice and lightning, the most commonly used elements."

"Awesome! Go Mi-wait." Yuu shot an accusing glare at Naoya. "If I can use magic too, why didn't you tell me when I was fighting Kobold?"

"I was going to, but then a certain someone thought it was a good idea to use a grenade against an enemy in close proximity." The magician calmly remarked, as if it didn't bother him at all.

Yuu, at the very least, had the decency to look embarrassed.

Before the demon could recover Mika was already upon it: with a single slash he cut off one of the demon's wings. "Gaaah!" Gagyson cried as it retreated, leaping away from Mikaela. With its wing now severed, leaking dark red energy from the open cut, it could no longer fly. Even so it wouldn't accept defeat; not until the Angel in front of him had proved itself worthy. Electricity danced across its form before it released another blast.

Mika ducked while dashing at the demon. When it fired off another Zio he took a page from Yuu's book and chose to get reckless. He leaped, his body jumping higher than it should have, avoiding the bolt entirely before calling on another ball of wind. **"Zan!"** he shouted before throwing the magic wind at Gagyson. It struck true and knocked the demon to the ground. Grasping the rapier with both hands he fell upon the demon and slammed the blade straight into its chest; right where the heart would've been.

"G-ghe..." the winged demon croaked. A few seconds went by before its body began to break down. "So... A child who wields the Trumpet intends to rebel against God? How interesting... Very well." Its beak curved, just as its disintegration reached up to its neck. "As per the terms of the contract I shall follow you. Do not disappoint me, Son of Man."

The demon vanished and returned to Mika's phone. Yuu and Akane promptly let out cheers, excited by Mika's victory. Naoya looked quite impressed. "Quick on his feet." he remarked. "Fast, agile and with a plan at the ready. How would you rate this performance?"

"Eight of ten." Fukutsuchi answered as he waved an ofuda, dispelling the barrier and allowing Mika to rejoin his family, who proceeded to shower him with praise and congratulate him. "He fumbled slightly. If I were to describe him in three words or less, he would be a fragile caster. His proficiency with magic is remarkable, the opposite of Yuuichiro's preference for upfront confrontations. However, if I were to estimate his endurance it would be quite lacking. He'd go down in a couple of well-placed hits."

"I see." Naoya hummed. He stole a glance at Akane. "That just leaves her. What do you suppose her demon will be? It was rather surprising for Mikaela to summon a Fallen of all things."

"That is, assuming his name isn't related to Michaela."

"Hm. A fair point."

Akane approached the center of the circle with trepidation. She was scared at the thought of facing a demon, and while she was happy at the victories of her siblings it also made her nervous she would be unable to perform just as well as them. Would she end up in need of being saved? Again?

The thought of being nothing but a hindrance left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Suddenly remembering something she turned to look at the COMP's creator. "Naoya-san, you said the COMP already contains four spells. How do I use them?"

"I was waiting for one of you to ask that." The man smirked. "As Mikaela-kun showed, 'Zan' is the command to use the wind spell. For fire, 'Agi'. For ice, 'Bufu'. And for lightning, 'Zio'. Visualizing the element in your mind and using your hands to gather and toss it is the easiest method."

"I understand, thank you." Now a little more reassured Akane lifted her COMP and pressed the icon of the demon summoning program.

Moments later the demon appeared before them. However, the sight of it was enough to make Mika and Yuu do a double take, as if unsure if they were hallucinating or not. Fukutsuchi raised an eyebrow, while Naoya couldn't help but smile in amusement. "How ironic."

The demon was human. At least, that was how it appeared at first: it had a feminine body, almost completely naked save for the black straps of leather that shielded its modesty. Its eyes were blindfolded with an eye marked over the cloth, blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and spilling over the shoulders. Both young boys couldn't help but admit just how beautiful the demon looked, momentarily wondering if it was a demon at all.

What solidified, and at the same time confused them about this fact were the brilliant white wings that spread out from behind the demon's back.

"I am the Divine Angel." the demon spoke, possessing a beautiful voice that made the male children want to swoon. "Are thou the one who called for me, Son of Man?"

Akane, stunned momentarily by the beauty before her, nodded. "Y-yes. I am Akane Hyakuya."

"...Ah." Angel leaned forward, a smile gracing her lips as she gently cupped Akane's cheek. "I feel the Trumpet sleeping inside of thou. It has been a long time since I have felt this power. For what reason hast thou called for the power of demons?"

"I... uuuh." The girl blushed at the intimate gesture, but then managed to steel her nerves. "I would like you... to make a contract with me."

The smile on the Angel's lips dimmed slightly. "Thou already have more power than I can offer. All thou have to do is awaken the Trumpet within thyself."

"No!" Akane shook her head. "I was told that I wouldn't be myself anymore if I do it! I don't want that!"

"Thou choose to be a Son of Man rather than the Trumpet Blower? So be it. By decree of the Great Will, to choose is the privilege of mankind." The Angel removed her hand from Akane's face and gently floated backward, arms raising to the sky before being crossed behind her head. "And by the laws put into place by the King of Bel, you must prove your right to command me... by defeating me."

Akane tensed, preparing her naginata and taking up a battle stance.

"King of Bel?" Mika wondered. "Who's that?"

"A long time ago, a powerful demon named Bel managed to conquer the demon world and unite the demons under him. God, however, defeated him before it could come to an open rebellion." For a moment Naoya's amusement was gone, his tone even. "Before his defeat he created a set of laws to regulate the summoning and contracting between humans and supernatural creatures. That includes both demons and angels."

"In other words, demon summoning is simply the exploiting of those laws." Fukutsuchi finished.

With a mighty flapping of her wings the Angel flied forward, one hand poised as if to skewer Akane. The girl reacted by moving the blade of her naginata in the Angel's path: the weapon opened a deep gash into the creature's side before the hand hit Akane in the stomach, pushing her back.

Whatever sense of accomplishment the girl had at the mutual hit vanished when the Angel called out **"Dia!"**. A green light shone over the wound on her side, closing it.

"What the-! Healing?" Yuu cried. "That's cheating!"

Akane remained focused while the Angel put distance between them. Light danced between her hands, forming into a ball that was sent flying her way. Quickly the girl moved out of the way, using her naginata as a makeshift pole launcher. The ball of light exploded, kicking up dirt and debris. Turning around Akane opened her palm and aimed it at the Angel. **"Bufu!"** A shard of ice formed in her hand, shooting straight at the winged female. She dodged the projectile with ease, making Akane under her breath.

"Don't use ice, she's resistant to it!" Fukutsuchi warned. "Use wind!"

"A-Alright! **Zan!"** A ball of compressed wind formed in her hand, which she promptly threw at the Angel. The winged being tried to dodge again, but was less successful: the spell hit her arm, making her spin in the air before crashing against one side of the barrier.

Without wasting time Akane ran ahead and impaled the Angel in the stomach. _'Can she heal herself if the weapon is still inside the wound?'_ She thought. It was a nasty method, but the only one she could use right now. She raised her hand again. **"Zan!"**

A poor choice, using it a point blank: Akane found herself flung back, falling and skidding across the floor.

"Akane!" Yuu cried out.

"Thou... are persistent." The Angel wheezed out as she pulled out the naginata and tossed it away. "But I... have my duty." She pressed her hands on her stomach. **"Di-"**

That was when Akane, who already got up, ran up to the Angel and punched her chin from below. The incantation got cut in half, the physical blow's damage increased by the Harmonizer, and the spell frizzed out. **"Agi!"** Akane shouted with all her strength, gouts of fire streaming out of her open palms and engulfing the Angel's head.

The Angel screamed in pain, recoiling back as the flames continued to spread. Using the distraction Akane ran over to the naginata: with her weapon in hand she turned around charged at the Angel. **"Zio!"** Thunder spewed from her hand, striking the Angel and staggering it.

"...Hey, Mika."

"Yes, Yuu-chan?"

Yuuichirou gulped. "Was Akane... always this violent?"

"...Once, before you came." Mikaela admitted. "Eventually she grew out of it, but now-"

"Ah, say no more. I'm scared enough as it is."

"So this... is your determination..." The body of the Angel began to break down into black and red energy. Despite that she smiled at Akane. "Thou hast proved your right to command me... Even if the Great Will shall not bless thou, know that I shall always stand by your side..."

White feathers danced in the air as the COMP finished to absorb the Angel, until even those vanished.

Akane panted slightly, but was otherwise only slightly winded rather than hurt. The battle wasn't nearly as tough as Mika or Yuu's earlier fights, but she had been quite scared: despite the kind and caring visage the Angel carried, the killing intent she gave off was palpable. Dangerous. She honestly thought she was going to suffocate.

And she was going to have to fight more monsters like this?

"Well done, all three of you. But this is only the beginning." Naoya spoke, as if reading her thoughts. The barrier vanished, allowing the white-haired man to walk where the angel once stood and turn around to look the three children in the eyes. "From now on it will be an uphill battle not just to win, but to survive. Such is the price... of **free will**." He tilted his head, as if having a sudden thought. "That's why, I will not resent you if one day you decide to give up."

"And then what? Go back to being a snack for the damn bloodsuckers? No thank you!" Yuu replied with a determined expression as Mika help Akane standing up. "It doesn't matter who... I'll punch in the face anyone that threaten my family! Even God himself!"

* * *

 **"If all things are in fact preordained, then why... why is humanity able to think for itself?"**


End file.
